PM/AM: Inside Apple's Secretive Training School

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Welcome to PM/AM, Popular Mechanics' morning briefing on the top science and tech stories for today.

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How does a huge company like Apple foster a sense of community and a common goal? With training courses at the secretive Apple University. And even though Apple rejected its request for interviews with instructors, The New York Times managed to get the scoop from three unidentified employees who have taken courses at Apple University.

At Apple's internal training program, employees sign up for classes that fit their experience and interests. At the "Communicating at Apple" class, former Pixar University Dean Randy Nelson shows a series of Picasso lithographs of a bull that gradually get simpler and simpler, from a full drawn bull with detailed shading to a simple outline that's still clearly a bull. The progression highlights Apple's core message: focus on the fundamentals, remove the embellishments.

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Other courses feature case studies of Apple's biggest decisions, such as making iPods and iTunes software Windows-compatible, which eventually led to the iTunes store, iPhones, and apps. Though the Times asked about a course for Beats employees, Apple and Beats declined to comment.

To read more Apple secrets, head to this Popular Mechanics story that delves into the secret lives of Apple Store employees.

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